Strange World
by wall-vodoo
Summary: Goemon's dying, his wound seems impossible to heal. What Lupin and Jigen will do for him? 10 february: Chapter III up! Please, criticize!
1. Wound

*This is my first fanfiction. I'm not an english speaker, so feel free to criticize me. Thank you for reading!*  
  
Strange World  
  
*  
  
Outside of the window, a rabid wind whipped and twisted the trees. It was rather cold to be the end of september.  
  
The doctor, an old, bald man, was kneeling beside Gomemon's body, laid on the bed.   
  
The man was pale, his breath barely recognizable.  
  
'It's taking a lot of time' thought Lupin, that was sitting in the next room, with his head on his hands.   
  
Jigen laid on the couch, apparently asleep  
  
After an endless time, the door of the bedroom opened.  
  
–So?  
  
Asked Lupin, anxiously.  
  
–Can I wash my hands?  
  
Said the doctor, in low voice  
  
Lupin followed him in the bathroom. A bad feeling was roaring in his head.  
  
–I've never seen something like this– whispered the doctor, drying his hands on a towel –There arent't any bacterian in his blood, but, well, you've seen. His flesh's literally *rotting*. You said you don't know where he's got that wound?  
  
–No... We've found him laying on the ground out of here. His sword was missing. He had this gash, like someone has stabbed him on his side... but no trace of the guilty.  
  
The doctor sighed.  
  
–Listen, Lupin. You know me since you were a child, and you know how many times I've saved your life. But this time... I'm lost. I don't know what to say... it's something supernatural. You can't count on me. You can't count on science, this time. I'm almost ashamed, but...  
  
He slided a little piece of paper into the thief's hand  
  
–...try this. It's the last resource I can think of...  
  
Lupin sat beside Goemon's inanimate body. He laid naked under the covers, his right side almost completely covered by a purple and black bruise. He didn't want to look at it again, but he knew that the thing was growing, day by day, gnawing his friend's flesh. It was just as big as a hand when they found him, two day before. Now was... enormous.  
  
–Get some sleep  
  
Jigen entered in the room, and put a hand on Lupin's shoulder.br  
  
–I'll watch for him, tonight.   
  
Lupin nodded  
  
Laying on the couch, he remembered of the leaflet.   
  
'Madame Sonne - expert in mysteries' readed 'Oh! That's good. Our last hope lays on a sorceress. Perfect.'  
  
He made the paper into a ball with his hand, but didn't throw it away.  
  
'This will be no fun...' thought, before falling in a light sleep. 


	2. Dream

*Hey, I had rewievs! Thank you everyone :)  
  
As ever, point me my errors if you want. It would be useful to make my english better*  
  
Strange World II  
  
Dream  
  
***  
  
A vaguely recognizable shape was floating in front of him, while he laid on the rock.  
  
The ceiling was done in black rock.   
  
The floor was done in black rock.   
  
There was nothing around, but black, volcanic rock.  
  
Everything was soaked in a sick, pale light, that seemed to come from nowhere.  
  
Lupin raised on his feet, risking to hurt his head hitting on the low ceiling.   
  
He was into a small cell, apparently carved into the stone. Looking at himself, he realized to be naked, and covered in bruises. His knees and elbows were bleeding.  
  
He screamed... but no sound went out of his dry mouth.  
  
The pale, floating shape in front of him, something similar to a small cloud of fog, slowly slided toward a wall, and sweetly disappeared through it, showing him there was a small hole in the stone. He dragged himself towards the open, his limbs full of a dumb pain.  
  
There was barely the space to walk bended in two.  
  
Looking through the hole, he saw... many other holes in the stone. And there were eyes behind the opens, sad, desperate, human eyes.   
  
And amongst the looks, he saw Goemon's. Frantically, he pushed his arm through the open, waving at him, trying to be recognized, until his friend's look locked with his.   
  
Goemon tried to speak, but no sound was heard. Then, he started to make gestures, talking in the code of deaves.  
  
'H-E-L-P'  
  
***  
  
–CALM DOWN!  
  
Two strong hands were keeping his shoulder. Lupin screamed once more, and this time, oh, so wonderful!, he was able to hear his voice.  
  
Jigen was in front of him, keeping his arms. During the struggle his hat had fallen on the floor, through the black, shaggy hair he could see his dark eyes full of worry.  
  
–Damn, kid, you were going to hurt yourself, and me too! what the fuck were you dreaming of?  
  
Panting, Lupin brushed his face and hair with his hands.  
  
–I'm getting mad. I've never had such a *vivid* nightmare... for a moment, I though I would've never come back.  
  
He told his friend about the dream, whose details were still so... real! that he could think he had really lived it.  
  
Jigen sat beside him, and lighted a cigarette. He let the smoke slowly filtrate out of his lips and nose.  
  
–You're shaken, for all this Goemon's stuff. This doesn't help – he said.  
  
–Did you hear what the doctor said?  
  
–No.  
  
–Well...  
  
Lupin's eyes went to the small ball of paper on the floor near the couch. He took it, and opened it carefully. Then gave him to Jigen.  
  
The gunman readed it.  
  
–Ridiculous, huh?– said Lupin  
  
Without spoking, Jigen handed him the cigarette. He took a deep mouthful of smoke, feeling his nerves calming down a bit.  
  
–No– said Jigen  
  
–No?  
  
–No. Usually I'd ve laughed. But let me tell you about the dream I had the last night.  
  
I rarely dream, thanks God, but last night, well, it was horrendous.  
  
I was into an egg. Funny, no?  
  
You don't usually think what happens to an egg when it's not hatched.   
  
Personally, my feelings about eggs end in a pan, near a slice of bacon.  
  
But last night, I was feeling every detail of the situation. Feeling abandoned. Feeling cold, until you die.  
  
And near to me, Goemon's voice was asking for help.   
  
Lupin, you know me... – he rubbed his eyes –I'm not the mystic type. Things like dreams and omens are good for old bigots. But this time is different...  
  
They both stood silent for some time.  
  
–Yes, this time is different, Jigen –said Lupin in low voice –This time, our enemy isn't a person. We don't know what it is... so we don't know how to fight it.  
  
But, in the name of my ancients, nobody can come here, kill my friends and walk away harmless, not even if it's a *supernatural* fucker!  
  
He threw the cigarette on the floor, and crushed it with his foot, angrily.  
  
–I promise, in the name of my father, that whatever it is, I'll have it's ass in a fry pan!  
  
Jigen smiled.  
  
–Good exibition, friend. This mean we'll go and have our hand readed by Madame Sonne, now?  
  
–Yes. Get ready. 


	3. Sonne

After a loong pause, here's the third part. hope you like it. As ever, critique and comment, please!  
  
-Vodoo  
  
***  
  
It was late night, and Goemon's breath was getting fainter every minute  
  
–Where the Hell is that whore?!? – Hissed Lupin –I've called her six hours ago! Damn, she will pay, if Goemon dies!  
  
Jigen sat on the window's frame, smoking silently. Then, he turned his head toward the door  
  
– There's someone out here...  
  
Someone knocked. Lupin ran and opened the door.  
  
A tall woman, with a pale and rather... equine face stood outside, watching him severely  
  
–Uh-oh... I've got the feeling that she has heard what I've said... –Thought him  
  
–YES, mister– answered the woman, cold as a popcicle in a freezer –and now, would you be so nice to introduce me to your friend?  
  
Lupin swallowed, embarassed like he was naked in the middle of a boy-scouts gathering  
  
–Er... huh... yes, milady... I'm sorry. He's Jigen Daisuke...  
  
–Not this friend, the one that's dying in that room.  
  
She pointed her long and thin finger, covered in enormous and very kitsch rings, to the bedroom.  
  
She seemed on her fourty, and was skinny as a sweep. Her clothes were of an incredible bad taste: a long silky dress, decorated with red arcane symbols, and a black and red turban on her head. Two enormous and incredibly horrible earrings, shaped as some kind of insect, swinged from her ears. The perfect portrait of a cheap clarvoyant... but she was surrounded by such a strong aura of power that Lupin and Jigen felt their hair straighten up.  
  
Madame Sonne sat on Goemon's side, uncovering him, gently. The bruise was now covering half of his muscular body. She touched his wound, and stood like that for a minute, with her eyes closed. Then she put her fingers on his forehead.  
  
– Poor boy... he's not here anymore...  
  
–What? Are you saying... –yelled Lupin. Jigen didn't said nothing, but shivered.  
  
– I'm NOT saying this... wait a moment, you impulsive brat! –Hissed her, like a serpent. Lupin fell sitting on a chair.  
  
– Listen, you two. Your friend has lost his soul. Someone has stolen it through this wound, with a magic knife. I know this method very well...   
  
You have to know, that in a place that's not far away, but neither close, there's a Creature called The Orc. He feeds on souls, and when he finds a STRONG soul, like the one that your friend had, well, he cannot resist. He will do anything to have it... and as you see, he has succedeed.   
  
–There's nothing that we can do... –said Jigen, but Madame Sonne freezed him with one of her scary look  
  
– Do-not-interrupt-me, child! You two are in danger... The Orc will probably want to taste your souls too, now that he has tried his. Your souls seems very close, if I'm not wrong (and I'm NEVER wrong!). Now, you're asking yourselves if there's something to do, and the answer is yes. But not on this dimension, and not you two alone.   
  
I'll arrange you a meeting with someone I know, for tonight.  
  
She scribbled something on a piece of violet paper, that she took out of her purse, then handed it to Lupin  
  
– Hurry up, children, time's running out. Your friend's soul is still alive, but not for a long time, as you can see (and she pointed to Goemon's side). You'll find someone there, a little black boy with a big truck. Do whatever he will say to you, and you'll have some possibility to save your friend, and yourselves...  
  
Madame Sonne opened the door, and went outside, then she stood for a moment, and said  
  
–My best wishes, boys. You'll need it... I'll pray for you to have luck... and courage.  
  
And then she walked away  
  
–It was some kind of nightmare? Or it really happened? – Said Lupin, after a minute.  
  
– I had a teacher that was like her, but she didn't wore tose earrings... so it has to be happened... – answered Jigen  
  
– Well, we don't have much choice... so let's go! Even if this is ridiculous. Little boys don't drive big trucks... 


End file.
